| Summary, etc. |
This thesis is premised on the realization that Evangelical Christian families particularly fathers seem to be lacking in their operative theology in relation to the leadership role of fathers in their ministry context. The main objective of the thesis is to undertake an analysis to determine the cultural and contemporary factors that impede fathers of evangelical Christian families to provide leadership that will enable their families to play their role in achieving God’s missional goal. This analysis is undertaken with a view to developing a theologically informed communicative and strategic plan to help facilitate a more faithful theory of action of fathers with respect to providing leadership to achieve the missional goal entrusted to the Evangelical Christian family that is optimally relevant to their ministry context. The secondary objectives are: (1) To interpret the operative theology of the Evangelical Christian families particularly the fathers in relation to their leadership role. (2) To determine what a faithful theory of action would look like for the Evangelical Christian families particularly the fathers as well as defending it in their ministry context. (3) To develop a strategic communicative plan to support the desired theory of action. The research design and methodology employed in this study are premised on Browning’s four steps approach in strategic practical theology (Browning1991: 55 –74). Each step covers a chapter in this thesis except steps 2 and 3, which are covered in one chapter. In this thesis both qualitative empirical and literary methods have been employed to gather the needed data. The thesis begins with the task of determining the operative theology of the fathers in relation to their leadership praxis. This task, which constitutes chapter 2,was achieved through an analysis and interpretation of the data gathered from the qualitative empirical research. The thesis, in chapter 3,proceeds to bring together the normative theological perspective and the empirical –descriptive perspective with a view to forming a holistic theory of action for a father’s leadership within the Evangelical Christian family. It also outlines structures and programmes that would support the proposed holistic theory of action. In its fourth chapter it considers ways that would be the most effective means of communicating and implementing the proposed holistic theory of action. The following are what the thesis has found and addressed. First, it has found that though the Evangelical Christian families particularly fathers can articulate what is required of them, their operative theology is quite deficient. Their theory does not match their practices. The result is failure to adequately and effectively deliver on the missional goal entrusted to the family. Second, chapter 3 addresses this inadequacy by providing theological principles to inform beliefs and practices of the father’s leadership role. Third, the modality by which the proposed holistic theory of action would be communicated and implemented is finally outlined. 1CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION1.1 Background The researcher has been a minister in the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Zambia, for almost two decades. As a minister, the researcher is engaged in various roles of church ministry, which include teaching Christian education, counselling –pastoral, premarital and post marital and preaching. In the course of teaching Christian education ,particularly Sunday school, the researcher has observed firstly, that most families do not regard their homes as the primary source of religious instruction as most children, when asked, are honest to indicate that they hardly receive any religious instructions from their homes. Secondly the researcher has observed that Sunday school classes for the lower ages are usually full while classes for teenagers attract very few teenagers. Even adult bible classes do not attract many adults. Thirdly in the course of pastoral visitations or counselling duties, whether in pastoral, premarital or post marital, the researcher has observed that in a number of cases, most men who are fathers do not exude an affinity for personal discipleship or discipling their families. The researcher, as minister, cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening around him in his context, and as such is inspired to investigate the obtaining trends because the Evangelical Christian family is charged in its outlook to be missional. The researcher has however observed that although the family in its outlook is charged to be missional, and which requires conscious effective leadership for this to be achieved. It is very apparent that the father in the Evangelical Christian family who is charged with the responsibility of leadership is passive, unaware of this task or thinks that in this day and age the charge to the family to be missional is no longer binding. Kendrick and Alcorn (2011) note that;“... A lot of fathers don’t realise their vital role, and their kids are destined to suffer for it. If you boil down many of the issues associated with today’s 2detached, passive, or absentee dads, you discover this: fathers have lost their sense of purpose” (Kendrick and Alcorn 2011:15). “At home, men are notorious for being oblivious to the huge leadership vacuum their passivity creates. They don’t realise how negatively their wives and children are affected by their lack of spiritual direction and leadership” (Kendrick and Alcorn 2011: 15).They further argue that: “Passivity merely leads to futility. A man cannot be passive about what Scripture tells him to do for his family and expect to be found faithful to God in the end. He must see with his spiritual eyes and realise that future generations are directly impacted by his daily decisions” (Kendrick and Alcom 2011:3). And renown author Dr. James C Dobson also points out that: “ I must say that too many fathers only sleep at their homes, And as a result, they have totally abdicated their responsibilities for leadership and influence in the lives of their children” (Dobson 1980: 35).It is also very evident that “this generation does not know what true fatherhood looks like. They rarely see it modelled in the media or at home” (Kendrick and Alcom 2011:19). And as a result today’s anti–God culture is stepping in and subtly emasculating them” (Kendrick and Alcom 2011:15).Given such a scenario, will the family attain its God given potential of achieving the missional goal entrusted to it? Getui (2008: 1) also observes “breakdown of the family in any society leads inevitably to the deterioration of social cohesion and social order. “This is not how God intended it. But to what can we attribute the current state of affairs in our nations, particularly Zambia? It would appear that the family is critical and key to the wellness of the nation(s) in terms of spiritual and social order. What will it take for the family to deliver for us and to have the desired scenario of families achieving on the missional goal entrusted to them? How much of this has got to do with the father’s leadership in the family? This thesis aims to respond to these critical questions. |
